Public hearing at Penticton city council on proposed Munson Mountain BMX track

PENTICTON – A full house is expected in council chambers tonight for a public hearing on the proposed relocation of the BMX track to a property on Munson Mountain.

The city is looking for input on bylaw amendments to allow for construction of the BMX track. The public hearing is scheduled for 6 pm., April 4.

City council has already received a lengthy report from staff outlining the pros and cons of other possible locations for the track.

The present facility in Lions Park off Warren Avenue is considered to be in conflict with present growth in the area, in addition to offering limited expansion possibilities.

Other possible sites on city owned property, including 1700 Carmi Road and in the Three Blind Mice area were rejected due to the topography of the sites, while Skaha Lake Park was dismissed because of future expansion plans already in the works for the property.

Sites at Uplands Elementary School and on Warren Avenue were rejected due to conflicts with existing infrastructure.

City staff noted the Munson Mountain property’s size and fewer conflicting land uses as reasons for recommending the site, adding the location’s proximity to the KVR Trail and Three Blind Mice mountain biking network might serve to increase cycling interest in the area.

Opposition to the plan includes a number of residents in the Munson Mountain area who turned up at city hall to protest the plan at the May 19, 2015 council meeting. Objections included the loss of farmland and the opinion the BMX track would create an eyesore at the base of the mountain which displays the iconic white-lettered 'Penticton' sign.

Two letters received by council do not favour the move, while another from the South Okanagan Naturalist’s Club recommend the installation of a fence around the property as a condition of approval.

A second item on the agenda involves a zoning amendment to allow development of a health services building at 2959 Skaha Lake Road.

The change would see the property go from Tourist Commercial to General Commercial to accommodate a dentistry practice and the practices of two or three other health professionals on property that is currently vacant. Other nearby land uses include services stations, restaurants, a car wash and several apartment buildings.

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